It always seems like every plant in my garden produces veggies at the same exact time…and naturally all of my friends and relatives have the same problem. This means fewer people who want to take 10 tomatoes and more people who need ideas on how to use all of these fresh vegetables before they go bad. Instead of making vats of tomato sauce (I’ve only made one batch so far actually), here are a few other ideas on how to use a little bit of everything from your garden.
Vegetable Couscous Salad
1 cup pearl or Israeli couscous, 1 bell pepper, 1/2 zucchini, 1/2 yellow squash, 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, 2 ears sweet corn
Cook couscous according to instructions. Brush pepper, squash and zucchini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly grill all vegetables. When cooled, chop into small pieces and cut corn kernels off of the cob. Cut tomatoes in half and toss with vegetables and couscous. Drizzle mixture with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. You could also add chopped fresh herbs for extra flavor.
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Chop one cucumber and one or two tomatoes (depending on the size). Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Some people like to add sliced red onions to this salad as well.
Garden Veggie Pizza
1 prepared pizza crust (I like the whole wheat pizza crusts that come in a 2 pack at Whole Foods), assorted fresh vegetables from your garden or farmer’s market, 1/2 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella
Lightly grill both sides or crust and vegetables (if using harder vegetables like squash and zucchini. Brush one side of the pizza crust with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh chopped herbs. Slice vegetables and top crust. Finish by topping with shredded mozzarella. Place on pizza stone or pan and place over grill for approximately 5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.
